Chapter 21 - The Hunger - Part 1
The now turned into zombie Chizuru looks at the group walking slowly towards them...
"Chizuru. Chizuru! Is me, Athena. You have to breath and think for a moment before any movement... Everything is going to be fine." - Says Athena trying to approach to the now zombified Kagura
"..." - Kyo, Terry, Nakoruru and Kaede stay silent seeing Chizuru's body as she shivers reacting erratic
*Growl* - But before Athena could do the next step, Chizuru would let out a ear-tearing screech with her now running towards Athena and co
Chizuru engages into a violent confrontation with Athena trying to slashing her, with her now pronounced claws only for Athena to dodge them
"Chizuru! Wait!" - Athena dodges two more slashes stopping Chizuru's hands trying to calm her, using her psycho power she takes a look at what is going on inside her mind
"(Hunger! Hunger! Food! THE HUNGER!)" - Are the thoughts echoing in Chizuru's mind surprising Athena realizing Kagura isn't thinking clearly being blinded by this incredible hunger
"DIE!" - Kagura tries to bite Athena but this one frees her pushing her back creating a psychic barrier between the two
"ARGH!" - In that moment Kyo and Terry run to hold Kagura by her arms with them trying to calm her
"Chizuru, listen to us. You're not acting like yourself, calm and wake up! Wake up!" - Kyo
"Come on, Chizuru! You're not this, whatever happened happened to you, I'm sure Athena wasn't the responsable." - Terry
"The responsable was Mizuki!" - Kyo
"Argh! Move out!" - With such impressive strength, Chizuru pushes Terry and Kyo away freeing herself from their grip with her panting
"You-Did-this-to-ME!" - Says Chizuru between pantings
"..." - Athena becomes static as Nakoruru, Kaede, Moriya and Haohmaru are forced to draw their swords out
"Argh! I'll skin you alive-ARGH!" - Chizuru falls to the ground having recieved an impact on the back of the head by Leona who sneaked up towards her
"I'm sorry, Chizuru. But you left me no choice..." - Says Leona having knocked Kagura out cold as the group approaches looking at the unconscious Kagura
"What just happened to her?" - Kyo
"Is this-Is she dead?" - Kula
"No... Something is wrong with her... She is alive, but her heart isn't responding, is almost as if she was stuck in a state between life and death." - Says Nakoruru realizing Kagura has no pulse but she is clearly alive at the same time
"We need to take her inside with Doctor Brown, Athena, Kyo. Help me to carry her inside." - Leona
"Ah her hands are totally cold." - Kyo
"And I don't feel any kind of pulse from her either." - Athena
"And what about these guys?" - Says Terry pointing at the Mars People in the outside of the forcefield
"They won't be able to enter as long as the shield is up, we need to take one problem at the time." - Leona
"And Chizuru right now sadly represents a threat for us." - Leona
Some minutes pass as Kyo and Athena are seem talking with Nakoruru, Mai, Kaede and Terry
"So that's what happened." - Kyo
"Yes, I don't know why this is happening. I didn't imagined something like this would happen." - Athena and Kyo take a look at the special contaiment crystal room on the palace where the unconscious Kagura is looking like a zombie with her arms tied to this straight jacket like vest
"You can enter now, guys." - Says Seirah coming out of the lab of Dr. Brown
"So what can you tell us about the tests, Doc Brown?" - Athena
"What can I say? For once I'm speechless, I have never seen something quite like this before... Is incredible to think how Ms. Kagura's symptons could end up turning her into this." - Doctor Brown
Brown activates the monitor of the lab of the terraxians, showing a full radiography of Kagura's body
"How do I say this, Chizuru's condition is to put it simply one that shouldn't even exist." - Doctor Brown
"What do you mean, Doctor?" - Athena
"She is alive but not really... She is still breathing, but her body, her body is practically dead, rotting, which could be why she ended up entering in this zombified state." - Doc Brown shows how Kagura's vital organs like heart, liver, kidneys, intestines stopped worked hours ago
"Most of her organs stopped working... Except one, the brain. Though only certain parts of it stopped working. That's the only organ that still functions" - Doctor Brown
"This is some kind of joke, right? I mean, how could she become this kind of zombie?" - Kyo
"I have some theories, and based on what Athena told when she found Kagura dead on that river... It could be a mixture of various things." - Doctor Brown
"Like what?" - Athena
"Athena, this might sound rough and believe me, I'm not putting the blame of you. But perhaps you somehow forced Chizuru to be brought back to life not in the way you would expect." - Doctor Brown
"No, please tell me that's not-" - Athena
"She was already dead when you found her, you overcharged her body with your psycho power to the point you somehow managed to bring her back, however. The end result could had been that you brought back only her soul to inhabit a dead and now rotten body." - Doc Brown
"... She didn't wanted me to bring her back." - Whispers Athena feeling a burning guilt remembering the words of Chizuru's soul
"But again, that's just one of the theories I have, another one maybe could be the atmosphere of the planet, perhaps being in contact with the Mars People or even something related to her possession by Mizuki." - Doctor Brown
"I don't want you to feel guilty for this, is why I have been working on trying to find a reason why this happened but also a cure, however all my results to "Re-animate" Chizuru's body had been useless." - Doctor Brown, shows the result of an attempt to revitalize Kagura's body using a small skin tissue taken from her
"When I tried to revitalize her skin and cells, the only thing I did was speed up the process of descomposition." - Doctor Brown
"So I wouldn't recommend you or Nakoruru to try to heal Chizuru further, it could actually cause more damage to her already rotting body than before." - Says Doc Brown surprising Athena and Kyo
"I'll keep working on see if something can cure Ms. Kagura but I want you all to make yourselfs to the idea that perhaps, it is too late for her." - The words of Doctor Brown echo in Athena's mind as she and Kyo leave the room with shadows on their faces
Some hours later
The unconscious Kagura is seen opening her now all pale eyes without pupils reacting looking at the strange room where she is, with her noticing her arms are tied up to a straightjacket
"..." - She looks at the shadow sitting in front of her in this small chair looking down
"Athena, what are you doing here and what is this place?" - Asks Chizuru to the shadow revealing itself to be Athena who has been with her the last hours sporting this sad look
"Chizuru, how are you feeling?" - Asks Athena now seeing that Chizuru is talking like herself instead of acting like a beast
"Strange. I-I don't know what happened to me, I suddenly was filled by this insatiable hunger that took over fully as if I was her puppet." - Chizuru takes a look at the reflective glass of the contaiment room
"So that is me." - Says Chizuru shocked seeing her current appearence
"Chizuru, I-I'm sorry about this. I don't know why this had to happen, I didn't imagined this would happen." - Athena hugs the zombified Kagura who stays static seeing what she has become now
"..." - Chizuru stays silent
"So that's all you can say now? A simple sorry? You think that fixes things?" - Asks Chizuru getting progessively angrier
"Look at what you did to me!" - Screams Chizuru moving like crazy standing up face to face with the sad Athena
"I know. It was my fault..." - Athena
"I told you to leave me to rest in peace and you refused to it, you could had listened to me and leave me rest, by now I would be with my sister and not here like this-this monster!" - Chizuru grits her teeth with fury
"I couldn't bear the idea of losing you, after the members of the team we had lost before... I wanted to help you, because for me you're a good woman who didn't deserve to die there in that cold forest." - Athena
"You brought me back to feel better with yourself, admit it! And now you have cursed me with this state, you think there's any future for me returning to earth like-like this! I told you to forget about me, to take the mirror and leave my body there. You knew I was death and yet you violated the laws of nature to bring me back somehow!" - Chizuru
"It wasn't my attention!" - Athena
"Well I hope you're happy now! I'm nothing but a rotting corpse now, death would had been the perfect scape to my shame... And you refused to give me that!" - Chizuru
"..." - Athena opens her eyes widely after hearing that, confirming that Kagura wanted to die over returning to life sporting the memories of incredible shame of what Mizuki did with her body
Without having nothing more to say, Athena leaves the room, with Kagura staying in the darkness that night.
"Are they still there?" - Seirah
"Yes, they are. They seen to be plotting something, they keep firing at the shield but now I have seem them come and go, it seems they have decided to go explore the planet at the moment in various groups." - Says Leona looing at the footage the drone caught of the Mars People moving out of the shield
"And about Kagura?" - Seirah
"Is she a zombie now?" - Seirah
Leona simply nods
"I see, look I hate bringing this idea but maybe... Just maybe, her actual body may be dead but I don't know." - Seirah
"You sound like you have an idea?" - Leona
Seirah whispers something to Leona
"Are you sure about that?" - Leona
"Look, you said it yourself, we have to deal with those problems one at the time. Kagura is a problem now for us, we both know that if things don't work, we are going to be forced to cut the strings for her. But maybe there's an alternative, think about it." - Seirah is about to leave the room
"But would you be willing to do that, talk to him about this?" - Leona
"Yes, if that were to work. For once their knowledge wouldn't be used for evil." - Seirah
The next day
"It hurts me to see her like this." - Says Mai standing with Kyo and other fighters outside of the room as they see the now zombie Kagura sitting in a corner
"Have you tried to talk to her?" - Kyo
"I did, she didn't wanted to talk much but I can feel she is angry." - Mai
"I'll enter." - Kyo
"Are you sure? Looks like she isn't in mood to see anyone, man." - Kaede
"I'm sure of it, don't worry." - Kyo
Kyo enters in the room with Chizuru just rising her head to see him
"Hello, Chizuru." - Kyo sits in the same small chair where Athena was the last night
"..." - Chizuru doesn't answer staying static at Kyo
"..." - Kyo
"So it has been a strange week, isn't it?" - Kyo
"..." - Chizuru's uncomfortable silence makes Kyo grab the back of his head nervous
"What do you want?" - Chizuru
"I wanted to talk to you, after all. I figured you need to heard some words from your friends to cheer you up." - Kyo
"..." - Chizuru
"Look, I know you have gone through so much lately. I understand it, I felt exactly like that after NESTS kidnapped me. I was ashamed and devastated. I felt like there was no place for me in the world anymore after such thing but I keep going and NESTS fell. Things returned to normal." - Kyo
"It wasn't the end as I thought and it was all thanks to my friends being there for me." - Kyo
"So that's your big suggestion, to keep going, even if there's nothing left for me anymore." - Chizuru
"No, not like that. Listen, this is just a phase, we have Doctor Brown and Siruu working on finding a cure for you, we will win this and all us return back home. Things will return to normal." - Kyo
"Even he will return to be the same man he always is." - Says Kyo refering to Yagami
"I think you're trying to be too positive but even deep down, you know things can get worse. For example me." - Chizuru
"Look I'm trying my best to stay positive, I want to help you. But you're not helping." - Kyo
"Help with what?!" - Chizuru
"Look as the leader of this group, is my responsability to-" - Kyo is suddenly interrupted
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! You? Talking about responsabilities? HAHAHAHAHA! Good joke!" - Kagura crackles with such laugh for Kyo's annoyance
"For what I know, Kyo. You have always been running away from them? What's different now? Is the fact you can't run away from them in this planet what makes you shiver now?" - Chizuru
"..." - Kyo stays silent with shadows on his face after hearing that
"You really think I need to heard tips from a good for nothing brat who will never grown up? A kid with the head over the clouds? Look at me, what is there for me anymore? If you have gone through what I did, you would had already jumped of a cliff now, because your mind is weak!" - Says Chizuru
"Look, we are just trying to help you?" - Kyo
"I don't need your help! Neither your pity!" - Chizuru
"The only reason I have tolerate you for so long is because of the respect I have for your clan but you're easily the worst head your clan has got in ages. A kid in the body of an adult who thinks life is nothing but games, who shivers at the thought of growing up... You think you can understand me? But you're wrong, you have never know the pain of getting something ripped out of you, you have never felt the cold hand of loneliness, the feeling that this world hates you and spits on you. What can a foolish kid like you teach me?" - Chizuru
"Look! Me and Athena are just trying to help you! We are sorry you had the bad luck of being possessed by that demon, but now that you're free we are trying to our best to help you!" - Kyo
"I don't want the help of you and your side girlfriend, she put me in this state to begin with... Even when I told her to let me go! She went against my wishes... My personal wish to be with my sister." - Says Chizuru as her voice breaks gritting her teeth
Kyo is surprised hearing that
"Y-You actually wanted to die?" - Kyo
"What do you think, genius? That I wanted to spend the rest of my life like this? Here's a clue, you're not the only one who wants to free itself from responsabilities!" - Says Chizuru shocking Kyo by such words
"-" - Kyo thinks for a moment
"Since when?" - Kyo
"..." - Kagura
"Ever since we landed here." - Says Kagura surprising Kyo finally with the truth
"I have been spending all my life trying to set a example, to be the head my clan deserved but I'm not that, doing so I holded myself from alot of things... I'm just tired of it. Before this happens, I was already dead before this started and that's the thing I never told anyone." - Says Kagura remembering how the last months before being brought to this planet had been depressing for her, despite trying to do her best to cheer herself up, she couldn't remove this feeling of sadness, depression and anxiety that drove her to a hole as the image of the sad Kagura crying in fetal position on the middle of her room is seem
"You and everyone else can try to empathize with me, but you will never know what is like to live with the guilt that someone who trusted you died because of you! You all will never understand it!" - Chizuru
"I know you always have feel her dead was your fault, but I believe Maki would be proud of-" - Kyo is interrupted again
"You didn't knew my sister, don't pretend you care out it all of sudden. Because I know you don't... Hehehe, you really like the sound of your voice, don't ya?" - Says Chizuru making Kyo feel shivers as Kyo remembers having told Chizuru that sane thing years ago
"Worry about yourself, Kyo. Because for what I can tell you with all my honest thoughts... If you had died when NESTS kidnapped you, perhaps your clan would had been under a better leadership now!" - Says Chizuru making Kyo feel awful
"..." - Without saying nothing else with a serious expression having heard that last comment, Kyo decides to leave just like Athena
"(She is a lost cause.)" - Thinks Kyo leaving as the other fighters see him having overheard what Chizuru said
The Next Day
Akari and Nakoruru are seen with two trays with some food for Chizuru, who has been feeding from serum injections given to her by Leona and Doctor Brown
"Ms. Kagura." - Both Nakoruru and Akari turn the lights of the room up, only to find themselves with a surprise, Chizuru now looking like her normal self with pupils and lips was there sitting in the same corner she has been sitting all these last three days
"Hello, girls." - Chizuru
"What happened to you?" - Nakoruru
"You look normal." - Akari
"Oh yes, I imagine Dr. Brown didn't told you but he found a way to cure my condition, isn't a miracle?! Come foward! Enter, I'm as surprised as you two are." - Says Chizuru with such happy face as the girls are unable to believe this smiling of happiness
"See I told you, Nakoruru. Doctor Brown would find a way to cure, Ms. Kagura!"- Akari
"I can't believe it, perhaps the medicine of Terraxia is more miraculous than what I though."- Nakoruru and Akari were about to open the door to give Chizuru a hug when suddenly
"STOP! Don't open that door!" - Athena appears having overheard the conversation entering
"Huh?" - Both Akari and Nakoruru stop as Athena stands before them
"Why not?" - Akari
"Athena-san, don't you see it? Ms. Kagura is back to normal again, Doctor Brown managed to cure the strange condition she had, she is back to normal again?" - Says Nakoruru in such innocent tone
"Or that's what she wants you two to believe." - Says Athena with a serious tone turning to look at Chizuru
"What do you mean?" - Akari
"Chizuru is the master of illusions after all, think girls. If Doctor Brown had already found something to heal her, wouldn't he made a reunion to declare Chizuru isn't suffering from this condition anymore in first place?" - Athena
Chizuru stares at Athena with such anger as half of her face becomes her zombified self, showing all was just an illusion of her
"I hate you!" - Says Chizuru revealing her true intentions of wanting to trick the girls up to eat them
"Chizuru, this isn't you. But the hunger you feel, all that is inside your head. Isn't real. Please don't follow those instincts." - Athena
"What's wrong, Athena? You're fearing that I might hurt someone? Perhaps you should had thought that more deeply before bringing me back here to this nightmarish planet!" - Chizuru
"I didn't wanted this to happen to you in first place, Chizuru." - Athena
"..." - Chizuru
"Read my mind, what do you see, Athena?" - Chizuru
Athena uses her powers to read the mind of Kagura, the image she finds impacts her as she sees the zombified Kagura eating the brains of both her and Kyo showcasing her fury at both
"You're lucky I'm currently restrained, because believe me. Nothing would make me more happy that devour that little brain of yours. As well as that brain of that arrogant brat, then again isn't like he used it that much anyway." - Chizuru
"Chizuru.." - Athena stares at Chizuru unable to believe in what the woman she once thought of as a sister has become now
Meanwhile
Krizalid is seen examining his battle armor in one of the rooms of the lab when suddenly the door is opened
"If isn't you." - Says Krizalid seeing Seirah entering
"Yes, it is me." - Seirah
"What do you want, Seirah?" - Krizalid stops fixing his wristband scaner removing his googles to look at the person he once considerated his sister
"I want to talk to you... Regarding someone." - Seirah
"Is Kagura?" - Krizalid
"How do you know?" - Seirah
"You and Heidern fear she might become a liability for everyone, isn't it? I'm not deaf, I heard her last conversations with those two. That glass and straightjacket are the only things stopping her from starting a mess here. You two are trying to hold her back with the serum, but she is starting to oppose resistence." - Krizalid
"Or I'm wrong? Believe me, I might not spend too much time down there with you all. But I do my research, Seirah. You're contemplating putting her out of her misery... But you also are contemplating other methods." - Krizalid
"Well yeah, might as well go straight to the point. But I need to know if you're willing to do it." - Seirah
"Do I even have any choice? Speak up your mind already." - Krizalid
"Fair point, look I need you to use whatever you know about NESTS clonation process and tech... In order to create a new body for Chizuru." - Seirah asks as Krizalid becomes silent with shadows on his eyes
"*Sigh* Hehe-Wasting the knewledge bestowed upon me by NESTS on a worm like Kagura? You are all desperated to not simply put a bullet between her eyes-" - Krizalid
"I knew asking you was a bad-" - Seirah is interrupted
"But I'll do it!" - Says Krizalid getting up throwing away his googles
"What?" - Seirah
"Didn't you heard? Prepare the lab, tell Brown and Siruu to meet me here in a few hours and give me the key to Terraxia's hangar of weapons. I have alot of work to do." - Says Krizalid accepting the request of Seirah
To Be Continued...